The Ants Go Marching In

With the temperatures finally agreeing with the calendar, one of the major “pests” every spring is ants.  There are several different types of ants that may be invading our indoor spaces, from the small sweet-eating ants to large carpenter ants.  There is a 2-prong defense that you can perform to keep unwanted insects from migrating into your house. 

First of all, look around inside.  Ants are always looking for water and food, so the most common place you will find ants are in your kitchen and bathroom.  You can spray to immediately kill them, but for the most effective means of attack, use a systemic ant killer.  This type will attract the pests to the bait for a few days, but they will take it back to their nest and the entire colony will die, even if the colony is outside.  We have found that a borax-based ant bait is the most effective, on almost all types of ants.  

Outside, you can approach ant deterrents 2 ways.  First, treat the perimeter of your foundation with either a granular product or concentrated spray, which should include bifenthrin to permethrin.  This will help prevent ants and other pests, such as spiders and other insects.  And if you see an active colony, don’t disturb it, as it may split into several other colonies and make your job even more difficult.  There are outside weatherproof ant baits, similar to the inside ones, containing borax, that will quickly attract the worker ants, and they will carry it back to their nest and the entire colony will soon be gone.  

If you don't know what products to use, don't hesitate to come on down to your hometown hardware store, we will gladly help you in your ant battle.